Interview – Castlecomer

September is right around the corner and with it comes the final heat blasts of summer. While the season was filled with relaxing beach time, continuous sipping of tropical drinks and the usual free-feeling mayhem, the music yet to come will still be fresh. Australian lads of Castlecomer are one such musical group who will be introducing some solid new tunes via their upcoming self-titled debut album on October 5th, hopefully during a crisp autumn. Fans can pre-order the musical glory here. On top of that, the men are set for a tandem fall tour that will support all the madness to come. Bede of the group was more than happy to delve right into their new work and journey to date.

Things took off with with the a discussion around the new collection of tracks. “…This album was a surprise to us and so hopefully is a surprise to our fans. We thought we were only recording EP’s but then we just kept going into the studio until we came out with 11 bangers. We’re going to try and play all 11 tunes on this tour to see how they translate live, very excited for it.”

With that, their creative flow has changed dramatically. “Well, when we used to put together an EP, we would write five songs, and then that would be the EP. Sometimes the tracks would sit together well, but often is was a pretty random collection of stuff. For the album, I quit my job and wrote about 200 songs. From that we got the 11 bangers, which sit together a lot better than our previous work. It was a far more curated process.”

Artistic bits beyond the music are simple and sweet. “… We’re not the most aesthetically pleasing blokes, thanks Punchland, so we try to focus on the inside… I do wanna buy a pair of Nike Slides and what we call a ‘bum bag’ but you call a ‘fanny pack’ I think when I get back to the states. Lebron rocks that shit and he looks good!” However, there are plenty of visual artists that interest the vocalist and guitarist. “[I love] James Reka and Fintan Magee, check them out! They are examples of creativity coming from everyday, mundane and sometimes pretty depressing urban spaces. It mirrors the way our music grew up out of urban Sydney.” Music seems to hold it all, but others dabble in various mediums. “There is no substitute to music and it literally consumes every thought I ever have. I can’t even have a conversation with someone properly if I can hear music in the background. However, our keys player, Neely is a very gifted visual artist.”

Summer movies were sluggish, but that did not mean the fun could not be found. “I saw The Meg a couple of days ago for five dollars at this really cool old school local cinema. It was one of those ones where the whole complex only has one giant cinema that really seems more like a music venue by today’s standards. Actually, maybe that would be a cool place for a gig. How scary is a Megalodon!?”

Within the craft, the push is easy to feel. Bede gave a perfect reason to keep at it. “[The real passion is that we notice] how good everyone else around us is. Go watch the Mac Miller NPR session on Youtube, his band is the definition of modern funk. We have to practice, yaknowwhatimean?!” When asked about the musical world as a whole, he had nothing but praise and extreme focus on its fluid development. “It’s amazing and it’s exciting! The thing is, all the greats that came before us were pioneers and the first to create things musically, so now that all the chords have been written, it’s up to us to get more creative and push boundaries. We are in this for the long haul. We’ve looking forward to seeing how the music scene will continue to evolve.”

Days off are a godsend and every minute of it is used well. “[We love] sleeping in, Googling the best coffee shop and ordering a delicious cortado wherever we are. [Of course we love going to the] gym and doing tourist stuff if we have time.” Speaking of which, Bede was taking some time off as we speak. “I got a $110 flight to Iceland from New York so I’m currently in Reykjavik drinking coffee that cost more than the price of a house in Australia and answering these questions. This afternoon I’m heading to a natural spring which is heated by a volcano, very exotic. Hope the old dudes aren’t naked in there!!!” Keep your eyes peeled good sir.

The goal is simple from here on out across the board. “[We can’t wait to take] our live show around the world! We want to reach as many people as possible! Getting the Castlecomermessage to the people is the dream.” As 2018 matures, Bede gave his two cents on what he hopes for the future. “I hope the world doesn’t end so we can release our debut album and I hope that indigenous people in Australia can get more support and opportunities on a global scale.”